N-ZAP '89
A nimble, balanced shooter with one of the fastest run speeds while firing of any shooter. It gives up a bit of damage and range to the Splattershot and .52 Gal, but it excels at roaming with its mobility. The N-ZAP '85 can boost the whole team with Tacticooler and has been picked as a support in tournaments. The N-ZAP '89 leans toward paint and scouting with Autobomb and Super Chump.
Strength by modeTier and score (win-rate points vs. an average weapon).
| Mode | C–A | S–S+2 | S+3 and up | X Battle | Regular |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Splat Zones | C -1.8 | C -2.7 | C -3.0 | C -2.0 | — |
| Tower Control | B -0.7 | B -1.4 | C -2.1 | B -1.0 | — |
| Rainmaker | B -0.2 | B -0.7 | C -2.8 | B +0.1 | — |
| Clam Blitz | B +0.4 | B -0.7 | C -2.3 | B -0.8 | — |
| Turf War | — | — | — | — | A +5.3 |
Best stages / Worst stages
Tower Control
Rainmaker
Clam Blitz
Strengths
- Fastest run speed while firing of any shooter, and it's lightweight, so it swims fast too
- Fast fire rate means a few misses don't hurt your TTK much, and grounded spread is small
- Tacticooler boosts your whole team's movement and respawn speed, making it a great kickoff for a team push
- Suction Bomb can push high-ground and long-range enemies back, and it paints the big walls your main struggles with
- Few glaring weaknesses, so you can switch between painting, splatting, and support as needed
Watch out for
- Its range and per-shot damage are worse than the Splattershot's or .52 Gal's, so fighting head-on the same way tends to go badly
- The main's ink efficiency is a bit poor, and paired with the ink-hungry Suction Bomb, you run dry easily
- Hard to splat enemies that can dodge or block, like Dualies with dodge rolls or Brellas with canopies
- It's versatile, but if your role gets muddled, you end up a weaker version of other weapons
- Longer-range weapons hitting you from outside your reach put you at a one-sided disadvantage
Tips
- At the start, spread paint a bit behind the front line to build Tacticooler, then push hard once it's ready
- Place Tacticooler where backline teammates can grab it too, not on the front line, and use "This way!" to let them know
- While the drink is active you respawn very quickly, so push forward aggressively with your team
- While a teammate's Tacticooler is active, save yours and use it after theirs runs out to keep the boost going
Common gear
Special Charge Up, Special Power Up, Stealth Jump, Last-Ditch Effort, Comeback, Swim Speed Up, Quick Super Jump, Ink Resistance UpThis kit
A kit that shines in paint-heavy modes like Turf War and Splat Zones: Autobomb flushes out enemy positions and Super Chump paints a wide area.Recent changes
- 11.0.0: System change for all weapons: main weapons get bigger hitboxes against players (the shorter the range, the bigger the boost), squid form gets a smaller hurtbox, and the game adds "Flow Aura" (a temporary power-up when you keep performing well) plus a remaining-health display (source 11)
- 11.2.0: Main weapon: paints under your feet more easily (source 12)